Douglas is located on the northeast coast of Douglas Island on Gastineau Channel, 1.8 miles southwest of Juneau. The town was established in 1881 as the result of mining activity in the area. It became an incorporated city in 1902. Several serious fires have destroyed much of the original town.(pg. 283) Notes from Donald Orth, Dictionary of Alaska Place Names: Geological Survey Professional Paper 567 (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1967)